The accusations at the start of the year
As often happens on the eve of various championships, 2024 was no exception to criticism and controversy regarding the drivers chosen by some teams to compete in the world championship. These decisions often fell on certain profiles, denying younger drivers the chance to debut or gain experience in Formula 1, with results far from positive for the teams and the selected drivers themselves.
Logan Sargeant at Williams
The most debated case, dating back a year, was that of Williams, which confirmed the American Logan Sargeant as Alex Albon’s teammate. While Albon finished 2023 with a total of 27 points, the American crossed the line in 10th place at his home GP in Austin, ending the season with just 1 point. Despite this, the Grove team decided to renew its trust in the 23-year-old, who was later replaced after 15 races by Franco Colapinto, without having scored any additional points.
Opinions of Chandhok and Palmer
The decision to renew Sargeant’s contract surprised many fans and former F1 drivers, such as Karun Chandhok, who revisited the issue at the end of the season:
“The one thing I still don’t understand is why they renewed Sargeant this year,” he explained on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast. “Personally, I would have considered a scenario where they brought in someone like Felipe Drugovich, for instance, or someone similar for a year. In the end, Williams pulled off a major coup by signing Carlos Sainz, didn’t they? So they are the big winners of this whole driver market saga; they have an incredible lineup for next year.”
This decision also drew criticism from another former driver, Jolyon Palmer:
“Sargeant should never have stayed,” he said on the Chequered Flag Podcast. “Colapinto showed flashes of decency and scored some points, but even then, he was never going to be a long-term choice because they already had Sainz. It was a strange appointment that filled a gap but also cost a lot of money in damages. I think Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon will be solid for the team next year, but we’ll have to wait until 2026 to see if the ship is turning around.”
Logan Sargeant’s 2025
Having ended his Formula 1 journey, Sargeant will embark on a new adventure in 2025, this time no longer in open-wheel racing. After completing several tests in IndyCar, the American will return to competition in the European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport, teaming up with Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert.
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